May 21, 2024
An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Anand Mishra, resigned from his post after being assured by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that he would be given a ticket to contest the general elections from Bihar under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Despite the assurance, Mishra filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the parliamentary polls from Buxar, Bihar.
Mishra was supposed to chair a Special Investigation Team (SIT) as per a Supreme Court directive regarding cases related to ethnic violence in Manipur, with the order to be executed by the CBI.
Mishra submitted his resignation, citing a desire to serve his home state Bihar. There were speculations in the media that he would soon join the ruling BJP.
Despite expectations of joining a political party, Mishra announced his decision to contest independently, stating his intention to work for the country and its people.
Mishra's career, marked by operations against militants and controversies such as the shooting of a local student leader, has garnered attention and mixed reactions in the Northeast.
Assam Chief Minister Sarma alleged that Mishra had the backing of opposition parties to split votes, which Mishra denied, accusing Sarma and the BJP of betrayal by not fulfilling their promise to include him in the party.
Himanta Biswa Sarma claims ignorance about the resignation of SP Anand Mishra, stating, "I don’t know who is Anand Mishra. I have no clue about it."